Communities and experts back City's call for policing powers

VIOLENT crime is rising again on the Cape Flats according to shocking new crime statistics and mense innie Kaap are demanding government takes action.

- BY KIM SWARTZ

An alarming jump of nine percent in the murder rate in the Western Cape and a shocking 91 percent of gang-related crimes in South Africa during the first half of the financial year have residents living in constant fear.

Several Cape Flats hotspots recorded spikes in murder, attempted murder and extortion-linked cases, with police stations like Nyanga, Delft, Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha once again appearing in the country's top 30.

Devolving

And while the City of Cape Town and Western Cape Government believe devolving policing powers to local authorities could help curb the crisis, national government has yet to act.

Residents say nothing has changed as response times are slow, detectives are overloaded, and visible policing is inconsistent.

In Delft, the station recorded a 13.2 percent increase in crime detection as a result of police action from July 2025 to September 2025 compared to July 2024 to September 2024.

Wesbank Community Policing Forum (CPF) spokesperson Mvano Magula said: "There is a lot happening in Wesbank and we seek help, be it from government or spiritual intervention."

The area which falls under Delft is among the province's worst-performing stations, yet policing resources remain thin and visible patrols inconsistent. A promised mobile police station is only expected to arrive in December.

Magula added: "We appreciate what the City is trying to do, but five Metro officers are not enough to deal with the current situation."

While residents face these daily dangers, the City argues it could do more if granted additional powers to fight crime on the ground.